The Spiral
by Skyblaze
Summary: Ikki and Metabee are in America for the Medabot championships, but they are captured by a group called 'The Spiral' who want to use them in their experiments. Will this experience tear Ikki and Metabee apart? **Discontinued**
1. Journey Begins

The Spiral  
  
Authors Note: This is my first ever Medabots fic. And please note I haven't seen any Medabots eps past the one where Ikki and Space Medafighter X robattle...so this probably diverges from the normal timeline.  
Copyright Notice: I don't own Medabots. I am only a poor student, so please don't sue.  
  
Ikki Tenrio couldn't stop smiling.  
In fact, he had been annoyingly chirpy for the past two weeks as the Medabot Championships drew ever closer. And now it was finally here. Tomorrow he and Metabee would be heading off to America to face the best Medafighters in the world. Metabee watched impassively as Ikki raced around the house checking that he had packed everything.   
"Jeez, Ikki, I think the only thing you didn't pack was the kitchen sink!" Metabee said, with a meaningful look at Ikki's already overstuffed suitcase. Ikki glared half-heartedly at his medabot as he padded back into his room and collapsed on the bed. He really couldn't find it in him to get mad at Metabee just now. Ikki raised his head to glance over at the outfit carefully laid across the back of his desk chair. Fitted black jeans, a white t-shirt with the Japanese flag on it and, most special of all, his new jacket. The jacket was black, with Metabee's catchphrase 'Lets get meta-busy!' scrawled in yellow embroidery on the back and his name on the front. It had been a present from his parents. Ikki lay back on his bead, a dreamy smile crossing his face as he thought of winning the championships...he thought of holding the trophy up high while the crowd cheered him, a ticker-tape parade through Tokyo with Karin and Erika at his side...  
"Yo, earth to Ikki!" Metabee yelled, waving his hands in front of Ikki's face.  
"Huh? What?" Ikki said, coming out of his trance.  
"I said, we better get some sleep if we want to win this championship!"   
Ikki glanced at his bedside clock and realised the display read '23:12'.   
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Ikki murmured and began to get ready for bed, though he knew that the excitement would probably keep him from his sleep. Then one thing that Metabee had said suddenly jumped out at him...  
"He said 'if 'we' want to win the championships'...is he finally developing some respect for me?" Ikki thought to himself as he climbed into bed.  
"Good night Metabee."  
"G'night bro." Metabee replied with a smile no-one could see as he off-lined for the night.  
  
Metabee awoke to a considerable shock. As his optics came online, he noticed that the bed next to his was empty, and there was a light coming from the bathroom. This was very unusual behaviour from someone who didn't usually rise until noon. Metabee just smiled his hidden smile as he too, rose from his bed and took out of tin of polish and a cloth. He did want to look his best, Erika had told him that there would be reporters at the airport, and Metabee didn't want to appear in the papers looking like he'd just been hauled off the trash-heap.   
Metabee almost fell over when Ikki finally emerged from the bathroom. He was wearing his brand-new outfit, complete with the black jacket. His hair had been neatly combed back into a ponytail far neater than his usual haphazard style. He looked about five years older than he actually was.   
"So, Metabee, what do you think?" Ikki asked, posing in the doorway.   
"Man...I gotta say, Ikki, I'm kinda impressed." Metabee admitted.   
Ikki grinned and held out a hand. Metabee grasped the offered hand.  
"Ready to do some serious ro-battling Metabee?"  
"You bet! Lets show those guys we mean business!"  
Ikki and Metabee descended the stairs, surprised at the crowd waiting for them. Ikki's parents were there, as well as several other relatives, Dr Aki and Karin, (Erika was going with them, to report on the championships). Ikki smiled into his Dad's camera as we walked out the door towards the waiting taxi. He waved to all his friends and relatives.  
"Wish us luck!" Ikki cried.  
"Don't worry, we'll be back with a trophy!" Metabee added.   
Ikki's Mom dabbed a tear from her eye as the taxi moved away from the house.  
"Good luck, Ikki." She whispered.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	2. Arrival

Chapter Two - Arrival   
  
Author's note: You know the drill, I don't own Medabots, yadda yadda.  
I'm setting up some things that will become important later on, so please forgive the slightly tedious bits in the this chapter.  
  
  
The flight had been short and uneventful. 22nd century air travel made long-haul flights a lot quicker and easier. Ikki stepped into the airport lobby and peered around, getting his first look at America.   
JFK International was huge. Tourists and commuters, as well as the many Medafighters, mingled freely among the large numbers of security people. Ikki blinked in surprise at he noted just how many uniformed security people there were wandering about the place.  
"What's with all the security?" Ikki asked Koji, who was standing beside him. Koji shrugged and tucked and errant strand of black hair behind his ear.  
"I hear they've had some trouble with a group called 'The Spiral'. I don't know any details." Koji replied laconically.   
"Well they better not try anything while I'm here!" Metabee exclaimed, holding up a fist.  
The medafighters were arriving from all different countries, Britain, Spain, Italy, Australia. The people wearing official 'Medabot Federation' uniforms efficiently sorted them into groups.   
A young, dark-haired girl wearing a Union Jack t-shirt wandered over to them, completely ignoring the directions of the officials.   
"Hi!" She said brightly to Ikki and Koji, "My name's Jayce. I'm from the British team." She said with a wide smile.  
"Hi." Ikki replied, "I'm Ikki...and this is Metabee." He said, waving a hand at his Medabot.  
"I'm Koji. And this is Sumilidon." Koji said. Jayce grinned and shook everyone's hand.   
"This is Jetstorm." She said pointing to the purple and silver JET-type medabot who was standing beside her. Ikki looked over the medabot, noting the silver wings mounted on it's back, and the tiny jet rockets in the ankles, and remembered that the Jet-type's special ability was flying.  
"Impressed?" Jetstorm asked in a distinctly female voice, striking a pose. Ikki was a little taken aback as the JET-type continued, "Well take a good look, 'cause I'm the medabot who's gonna be winning this championship!" Ikki blinked. This medabot sounded like a female version of Metabee.   
"I don't think so! If anyone's gonna get that trophy, I'll be me!" Metabee yelled.  
"Oh yeah? And outdated old hulk like you? Ha!" Jetstorm scoffed.  
"Kkkkkk..." Metabee growled, his optics glowing with anger.  
"Save it for the ro-battle, Jetstorm." Jayce said wearily, cutting off the brewing argument. She leaned close to Ikki and said, "Sorry about that. Jetstorm's a little...belligerent." Jayce apologised for her Medabot.  
"I know how you feel..." Ikki muttered, not quietly enough.  
"Hey!" Metabee protested.  
Jayce just laughed.  
"Actually, I'm here for two reasons. My Dad's one of the arbiters...he gets to check over the Medabots to check that there's no cheating or sabotage going on." Jayce added with a grin, then realised that the British team were calling her.  
"Guess I better be going, hope to see you in the arena." She said with a wave.  
"Yeah." Ikki replied as Jayce wandered off again.   
"C'mon Ikki!" Erika said, appearing suddenly by his left arm, "The bus is here to take us to our hotel!"   
  
Only a few hours later, Ikki had barely unpacked when Erika arrived at his door. He opened the door warily, knowing that his friend was bound to drag him off somewhere.  
"Ikki!" She cried, as she marched into his plush hotel room, "I just heard that Space Medafighter X is going to be at Central Park!"  
"So what?" Ikki asked, deliberately baiting her. Erika bristled, even as Metabee chuckled quietly.  
"So we better get down there!" Erika yelled, grabbing Ikki's arm in a surprisingly strong grasp and dragging him along. Metabee just shrugged as Ikki was pulled out of the room and down the corridor with a hopeless look on his face.  
  
Central Park was busy with people of all sizes, shapes, ages and backgrounds. Young successful business people mingled with homeless down-and-outs. At night this was a dangerous place where the strong prayed on the weak, as not even 22nd century technology could completely stamp out the crime here, but by day it was a place for shoppers, joggers, teenage couples...  
And Medafighters.  
Ikki watched with a slight smile as Space Medafighter X held court among the crowd of admirers around him, his gold face mask as impassive as always, but Ikki could tell that the mysterious Medafighter was enjoying the attention.   
As always, Arcbeetle stood by the black-clad figure's side, occasionally answering questions put to him by some members of the crowd.  
"Phft," Metabee snorted, "Glory hog."   
Erika was busy jumping around with her camera, trying very hard to get a decent picture of Space Medafighter X and his medabot, but it wasn't easy because of the crowd of much taller people standing in front of her. Ikki grinned as the young reported tried to get Brass to lift her up so she could get a better angle.   
Ikki started in surprise as he felt something dig into his ribs.  
"What is it Metabee?" Ikki asked with a trace of irritation, glancing down at his yellow Medabot.  
"I'm getting bored of just standing here, let's go take a look around!"   
Ikki shrugged.  
"Sure, why not?" Ikki replied.   
They set off walking deeper into the trees, wandering down the various paths. They saw fewer and fewer people the further they walked, until they came to a place where the branches overhead had grown so close together that they created a canopy overhead, blocking out the sunlight and creating an eerie twilight. Ikki got a sudden uneasy feeling.  
"Metabee...I think we should go back." Ikki said.  
"You're not going anywhere, little boy." A cold voice purred from behind him. Ikki and Metabee both whirled around and came face-to-face with a woman dressed in a grey suit. She had a black Medabot of a completely alien design at her side, and her expression was the coldest he had ever seen on a human face. Her eyes were grey, and devoid of emotion.  
"Who are you?" Ikki demanded.   
"That isn't important." She replied in that same emotionless voice, "You might as well come quietly with us, I don't really want to hurt you."  
"Forget it lady!" Metabee yelled back, "We don't surrender to anyone, right Ikki?"   
Ikki nodded decisively, but the unease in him had only grown...something terrible was going to happen, he just knew it.  
"Let's get meda-busy!" Metabee cried, bracing himself for battle. The woman sighed.  
"Very well, if that's how you want it." She gestured to her black Medabot, "Scion, go."   
Before Metabee could make a single move, a wave of black light emerged from the black Medabot's hands...and headed right towards Ikki.   
"Ikki!" Metabee cried in horror as his medafighter was sent crashing backwards into a tree. Metabee saw a trickle of blood run down from Ikki's nose...and all rational thought left him.   
"You'll pay for that!" Metabee almost screamed as he charged the black Medabot, rage clogging his processor so he didn't even think of trying to use his missiles or lasers, he just wanted to rip the other 'bot apart with his bare metal hands. He didn't get very far when a sudden blast of white-hot flame struck his back and sent him sprawling to the floor.   
Metabee crawled stubbornly to his feet again and looked behind him. Another human, this time a man in a black trenchcoat, was stood there. Accompanying him was another unusual Medabot. This one was black and maroon, with what looked like a fusion cannon mounted on one arm. Metabee's optics glowed in disbelief...fusion cannons were highly dangerous, and illegal. Not even the RubberRobo gang had gone that far.  
"I thought you would never get here." The cold-eyed woman called to the man. The man in the trenchcoat just grunted, his eyes fixed on Metabee. Metabee growled and threw a volley of laser fire and the maroon 'bot. The bolts simply bounced off without leaving so much as a scratch. Fear began to penetrate the rage that was clouding his processing.   
"Ikki...wake up!" He called to his friend and Metafighter. But Ikki didn't stir, the blast he had taken had knocked him senseless. Metabee was completely alone.   
The maroon medabot raised the arm with the fusion cannon, and Metabee just barely managed to dodge the bolt of white-hot plasma that was sent hurtling his way. The dead grass under his feet set on fire as the plasma bolt hit the ground, and Metabee quickly found himself standing in the middle of a circle of flame, smoke beginning to obscure his vision.  
"Ikki! Help me!" He cried, but Ikki couldn't even hear him. Metabee actually did feel scared now. He and Ikki might argue sometimes, but Metabee did genuinely care for his Medafighter, and deep down, he know that Ikki was a skilled Medafighter, and Metabee needed him.   
A blast of black light came at him through the smoke, almost sending him into the fire that surrounded him, "Ikki!" Metabee cried again. He tried to get to his feet, tried to gather himself to invoke the Medaforce...but it was no use, he couldn't even see his opponents for the clouds of obscuring smoke. More blasts came at him now, and Metabee felt his strength ebb, felt his legs cease their functioning.   
He caught a brief glimpse of Ikki's unconscious form through the smoke. The sight caused him something akin to physical pain as the realisation came.  
"Ikki...I'm sorry...I failed you..."   
Then everything went black.  
  
Across the park, Space Medafighter X looked towards where Ikki and Metabee had gone. His eyes narrowed behind his face place...something was dreadfully wrong.  
If only he knew what it was. 


	3. Lab Specimens?

Chapter Three - Lab Specimen?  
  
Author's note: I still don't own Medabots, so please don't sue. All I have is my PC and my Game Boy Advance. BTW, some nice hints as to what's to come in later chapters. Keep and eye out.   
  
  
Metabee came online reluctantly, slightly scared of what he would see.   
He was a little surprised to find himself still in his old KBT-type body, though he was chained securely to a wall and suspended about a foot off the ground, effectively helpless.   
As his vision cleared, he got a good look at the room he was in. It appeared to some sort of lab, it was windowless and had only one door, and there were many different kinds of electronic equipment lining the white walls. There was not a speck of dirt to be seen anywhere. The most prominent feature in the lab was what appeared to be a surgical bed. Metabee fought down fury as he realised that Ikki was strapped to it.   
One of the humans who had kidnapped them, the man who owned the maroon medabot, was performing some sort of procedure on Ikki's neck. Metabee saw him take a small medical instrument and carefully seal up an incision.   
The door to the lab opened and the woman with the cold eyes walked in. Metabee deliberately dimmed his optics. He didn't want them to realise that he was awake yet, he needed to know more first...then he could get around to giving them a Metabee boppin'.  
"How did it go?" The woman asked, her voice sounding unnaturally loud in the quiet lab.  
"The implanting procedure went well," The man replied, "But we wont know if the chip is working until he wakes up. You know that Lilith."   
Implanting? What kind of chip? Metabee wondered. What were they doing to Ikki...and why?  
Lilith looked over at Metabee.  
"I am aware of that, William. But we must finish this experiment quickly...if this procedure produces the results we expect..."   
"I know." William cut her off with a frown, "But we have no guarantees that we'll be able to control our subjects afterwards."   
Lilith didn't reply, but Metabee felt his fury growing in leaps and bounds as he listened to their conversation. No one would control him!   
"Uhhhnnnnnn..." Ikki groaned as he began to wake up. Metabee felt a strange sensation run through him as Ikki began to stir, like phantom pain down his neck and back. He shrugged it off, it was probably a result of his battle earlier.  
"Excellent." Lilith said, smiling coldly. "Just think of it William. If the procedure was successful, we'll be able to use these two to do untold damage to the blasted Medabot Federation!"  
That did it. Metabee's temper flared uncontrollably.  
"You wont use us to do anything!" Metabee screamed, his optics flaring bright green as he pulled as his restraints. Lilith and William whirled around and stared as the chains holding Metabee cracked and broke and Metabee landed on the floor.   
"Celcion, get him!" William yelled at the maroon medabot, who raised its fusion cannon. But Metabee felt a power building in him that was stronger than anything else he'd ever known. He knew it was the Medaforce...but it felt infinitely more powerful, as though someone had thrown petrol on his internal flame. A green aura gathered about him, and he heard William's sharp intake of breath.  
"You idiot Lilith! He's got a rare medal!"   
The power of the medaforce ran through his body, pooling in his hands. And with the power came feelings that felt totally unfamiliar, but they gave him strength. He gathered the Medaforce.  
"Kiss your bot goodbye!" Metabee yelled, cupping his hands together, "Medaforce!" he cried and the green light shot from his hands and towards the maroon medabot, who was sent crashing into the opposite wall.   
Through the smoke and confusion, Metabee staggered over to the surgical bed and pulled off the restraints.  
"C'mon, Ikki. We gotta get outta here." Metabee muttered.  
"Huh? Metabee...? What..."   
"Later, let's go!"   
Metabee half-carried his medafighter from the lab, trying to get as far away from this place as possible.   
  
Ikki's world was a blurred mess. He had no idea how they had gotten out of that lab, and only hazy images of someone examining him...something about him being a 'good specimen'. His neck and back burned with pain, and he could taste the coppery tang of blood in his mouth. Everything felt unreal, the only thing that felt solid was the cold metal of the arms that carried him.  
"Metabee...where are we?" Ikki slurred as Metabee put him down.  
"I'm not sure Ikki." Metabee admitted. He thought they were still in Central Park somewhere, but it was night-time, and he had no landmarks to judge from, and no idea where to go next...and to top it all off, he was pretty sure that Lilith and William had sent their other 'bot after them. Metabee turned concerned optics on Ikki. Noting the unfocussed look in his medafighter's eyes and the slurred nature of his speech, he figured that Ikki had been drugged. Not much by itself, but added to the injuries he already had to his neck and back, it meant that he couldn't move fast enough to keep up with Metabee alone.   
Not that Metabee was in such great shape himself. There was still some residual damage from his previous battle with those two weird Medabots - Scion and Celcion - and he had just expended a great deal of power back in the lab...but strangest of all was the odd phantom pain that kept running down his back. It persisted despite his diagnostic software insisting that there was no real damage. But he still felt worn out. He needed to offline...but knew he couldn't.  
"Metabee!" Ikki suddenly cried out. Metabee turned and saw the strange black Medabot he had fought before. Moving quickly, Metabee ducked and rolled out of the way of the blast of black light and aimed his laser cannon. But before he could fire another blast of black light struck him, sending him sprawling to the ground.   
"Metabee..." Ikki moaned, trying to get up, trying to move to help his friend. But he was still too weak.  
Metabee just managed to dodge another attack, but he could feel his strength fading. He growled to himself and struggled to his feet, launching a volley of laser fire. Scion dodged it by jumping up onto a tree branch, then counter attacked with two micro-missiles that exploded right in Metabee's face. Metabee screamed as his optics went out. His scream was in stereo as Ikki screamed with him, as though he too were in pain.   
Blinded as he was, he was helpless.   
"I'm sorry, Ikki..." He murmured. But before Scion could finish him off, two more voices rang out through the park.  
"Jetstorm, dive-bomb attack!"   
"Arcbeetle, show them the power of the prominence!"  
There was a loud explosion, and the ear-splitting screech of metal against metal. There was a brief silence, then Metabee heard a vaguely familiar voice ask if he was ok.  
"Can't see..." Metabee said.  
"Optic damage. But I think you'll be ok." The voice said. Metabee dug around for a name to put to the voice and eventually came up with one, Jetstorm, the purple JET-type that belonged to that British kid.   
"Ikki?" Metabee asked.  
"Ikki will be just fine. We're getting you both somewhere safe." That voice he definitely recognised...Space Medafighter X.   
"What the Hell happened just now?" Jetstorm's medafighter - Jayce - asked.  
"Questions can wait until later. Let's just get them both fixed up first."  
"Thanks...all of you..." Metabee said, "But I'm going to go sleepy now...nighty night." And he shut down. 


	4. Between Fire and Ice

Chapter Four - Between Fire and Ice  
  
"WHY won't you let me in to see him?" Erika demanded as she tried for the fifth time to bull her way into Ikki's room.  
"Your friend is still recovering," The harassed-looking nurse replied, "He hasn't even woken up yet."  
"Then let us see Metabee instead!"   
The Nurse looked even more harassed, "Professor Darien is still working on him, I'm afraid you will just have to wait. There really is no need to worry, your friends are in the very best of hands." Then she simply turned and walked off down the corridor, leaving Erika fuming in her wake.   
The young reporter almost jumped out of her skin when she felt a hand clamp on her shoulder.  
"She is right, there isn't anything you can do for your friend right now. Let the doctors do their jobs. Ikki and Metabee are in the best of hands." Erika glared up at Space Medafighter X's impassive gold face mask, feeling the sudden urge to rip of the concealing face plate so she could see into his eyes.   
"Fine!" Erika yelled, stomping back to her seat, her face looking as dark as a thundercloud. She locked eyes on Space Medafighter X, deciding to make him the target of her peevishness, "Why are you still here, anyway? You've usually gone and done your vanishing act by now."  
The Champion Medafighter shrugged nonchalantly,  
"I didn't have anything better to do."  
"I hate to say this, but he's right. My Dad and the doctors will do everything they can for your friends." Jayce said from where she was lounging on one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs.  
"Your DAD??" Erika yelped.  
"Sure, Professor Kenneth Darien. He works for the Medabot Federation. He's fixing Metabee up as we speak."  
Erika sighed heavily.  
"Then I guess all we can do is wait."  
---  
  
Consciousness came back to Metabee in degrees as he slowly came back online, checking all his Medaparts as he did so. The pain was gone, and his optics worked as perfectly as ever. But still, he felt a vague sense of unease as he looked up into an unfamiliar face. It was a man who appeared to be in his late forties. He had dark, thinning hair, a moustache and compelling brown eyes that were hidden behind a pair of spectacles. He was also wearing a Medabot Federation badge that announced his identity as Professor Kenneth Darien.  
"Welcome back." The Professor said gently in an English-accented voice.  
Metabee just glared at him, right now he didn't care that this man had probably repaired him.  
"Where's Ikki? And who are you?" Metabee demanded, his green optics glowing brightly with suppressed anger.  
"I'm Professor Darien, and your Medafighter is fine, he's recovering in another wing of this hospital." Professor Darien reassured him.   
"I wanna see him." Metabee said, starting forward, but Darien held him back.  
"And you can, but first there are some things I need to tell you about..."  
"Like who those goon were that attacked us?"  
Darien took off his glasses and began to clean the lenses on his lab coat.  
"All right, if that's where you want to start.  
"The people who captured you and young Ikki are from a group known as 'The Spiral'. They're a group who believe that they should be the ones in charge of Medabots. All of them are people who were once kicked out of the Medabot Federation for improper conduct. Their leader, a man called William Edgars, is actually the one responsible for inventing the fusion cannon." Darien paused briefly, a worried frown crossing his face, "His name has also been linked with the Weapon-type Medabot project."  
"Say WHAT?!"  
"They've even created their own brand of Medabots, known as 'Deltabots'. The Deltabots have illegal and dangerous weapons. All they want is power and control."  
"Man..." Medabee whispered.  
"My theory is that The Spiral are trying to destroy the Medabot Federation from within, by trying to use a Medabot and Medafighter to create chaos at the Tournament." Darien's eyes became deadly serious, and Metabee felt a sudden suspicious lurch in his circuits. "Metabee, the Spiral captured you to implant a device near your CPU unit in your head part, very close to the subspace modem that connects you to your Medawatch."  
"What kind of device?"  
"A control chip."  
"They were trying to CONTROL me?" Metabee exclaimed his optics burning bright green with anger, "That's it...next time I see those punks, they better get ready for a Metabee-boppin'!"  
"Easy Metabee, there's more," The Professor said, replacing his glasses over his eyes, "They also put a similar implant in Ikki's brain."  
"WHAT??"   
Darien somehow managed to look sad and harassed at the same time.  
"The chips in your and Ikki's brains are very similar, while you two were escaping from the Spiral, those chips were trying to activate...but instead of finding a control signal...all they could find was signals from they other chip. Somehow, the two cross-connected."  
"You wanna spare me the technobabble, Professor?"  
Darien sighed, "Basically, it connected you and Ikki together. He can now feel the circuit impulses that function as pain signals for you...and you can feel the nerve impulses caused by Ikki being in pain. It might go even deeper, but right now, we just can't be sure. That's something you and Ikki have to discover by yourselves."  
Metabee just stared at him. For once, words failed the talkative Medabot. None of his usual smart-ass comments seemed appropriate right now. His brain was flooded with questions about what this would mean to them both...but only one question managed to escape his vocaliser.  
"Can...can I see Ikki?"   
---  
  
Ikki's head throbbed unpleasantly as he slowly surfaced from the deep pool of unconsciousness. He cracked open his leaden eyelids, wincing at the stark whiteness of the room he was in.   
He also discovered that his back hurt at least at much as his head, and there was also a curious itching sensation coming from the back of his neck, he thought about trying to scratch it, but even the thought of the effort that would take made him feel queasy.  
The door opened, and Ikki felt a confused welter of emotion well up inside him as he saw Metabee walk in.   
Metabee's optics were glowing softly, and something about the KBT-type's posture spoke of his confusion. Ikki tried to sit up, but a sudden wave of intense nausea forced him back down onto the pillows.  
"Ohhhh..." He moaned, sweat breaking out on his pale forehead.  
"Ikki?" Metabee asked in concern.  
"No." Ikki answered honestly, feeling dizziness washed over him, trying to drag him back into the warm abyss of unconsciousness. He fought it off stubbornly.  
"Metabee...what happened?"  
"We...we were kidnapped, Ikki."  
"Kidnapped?!" Ikki exclaimed in shock, "By who?"  
"These bad dudes called 'The Spiral'."  
"The terrorist group...?" Ikki lapsed into silence for a moment, then; "You rescued me." Ikki stated softly.  
"Yeah, that's right."  
"I remember that...but what did they want with me?"  
Metabee's hesitation was obvious, even in Ikki's current state.  
"Metabee...?"  
Metabee hung his head and began to explain everything. What the Spiral wanted, what they had done to them both. When Metabee had finished, his Medafighter's face was crumpled into an unrecognisable expression.  
"I...I have a CHIP in my head?!"  
"Yeah..."  
"And it connects me to...to your PAIN?!"  
Metabee scuffed his feet on the floor nervously.  
Ikki's breathing quickened, his fists clenching around the bed railings so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Metabee backed off a step as he felt something fiery hot rush through his medal...a sensation that felt like...rage.  
"GET OUT!!" Ikki screamed. Metabee blinked in surprise as the unexpected reaction.  
"Ikki..."  
"GET OUT! Get out of here! This is all your fault!"   
"MY fault?! Now wait a minute..."  
"It was your stupid idea for us to take a look around! YOU got us into this!"  
"HEY, you think I WANT a direct line to your pain? No way! But we're in this together..."   
"Not anymore!" Ikki yelled as the pain and irrational fury took a hold of his mind, "I can do this alone. I don't need your help!"  
"Don't be so stubborn! I'm trying to help you!"  
"Leave me alone, Metabee!" Ikki said, twisting around in his bed so his back was towards the Medabot.  
"FINE!" Metabee yelled as he stomped towards to door, slamming it shut behind him.   
But before his hand even let go of the doorknob, he felt a wave of grief and pain, and a simmering, irrational anger. Metabee almost collapsed with the intensity of it, his legs giving way underneath him.   
There was someone speaking to him, yelling at him actually, but he couldn't focus on the voice, he was too lost in he icy cold emotions that kept pouring into him. Guilt pressed in on him now, adding to the wild cocktail of unfamiliar emotions. If Medabee could have wept then, he could have.  
"Ikki..."  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Erika cried from where she was knelt by Metabee's side.   
Professor Darien shook his head, his eyes holding a deep worry. "I was afraid of this," The Professor said, "It looks like they've linked on a more than just physiological level."  
"Linked?" Brass asked from her position on Metabee's other side, "What does that mean."  
Darien scratched at his balding head, "We don't have any real way of knowing, really. This has never happened before to anyone." He sighed deeply, "I just hope their friendship can survive this."  
"It can." Space Medafighter X said confidently, "They have a very strong bond already."  
"Are you saying they have to STAY like this?" Erika demanded.  
Darien looked down at where Metabee lay crumpled on the floor looking lifeless apart from the faint glow of his green optics.  
"I've sent for Doctor Aki to see if he can offer any suggestions...but, yes Miss Erika, they may have to stay like this."  
  
To Be Continued... 


End file.
